Supporting students

2016 begins with a new drive to raise support for students at IHPCA (Institute for Hospice anad Palliative Care in Africa). Each year The Institute receives many applications from students who meet the entrance qualifications and who can be provisionally offered places. Most students cannot fund themselves and only a small proportion of students are funded by government health services. As a result many of the applicants struggle to find funding to support their proposed studies and a significant proportion fail. We are looking to raise funds for student bursaries for fees and for travel expenses (air fares and subsistence) especially for non-Ugandan students. Funding a student today is a key investment inspreading palliative care.

More news of the Anne Merriman Hospice Africa Foundation

As Hospice Africa has grown it has become evermore important to develop connections between its different parts. There are fund raising organisations in the USA, Ireland, UK, and France; not to mention Hospice Africa Uganda and the Institute for Hospice and Palliative
Care in Africa, which provide the services. To bring this diaspora together; and to coordinate its work whilst preserving the Hospice Africa ethos "The Anne Merriman Hospice Africa Foundation" will be launched on the Founders birthday in 2016. We will keep you posted on how this event will be celebrated. We plan to use the white “peace poppy” as our emblem and hope that you like the idea.

Hospice Africa Uganda faces a major challenge!

In September this year HAU’s longstanding collaboration with USAID came to its scheduled end. USAID has been a major donor for the work of HAU and the end of their support has been a severe challenge. HAU is working to find alternative donors to keep the work going and of course we will help. Inevitably, there have been some cutbacks in Uganda but we are all trying to keep patient services protected as far as possible. In the UK we are trying to increase our fund raising so that we can help support HAU whilst continuing to fund work in other African countries.

Uganda scores well in the Quality of Death Index

In the UK we should count ourselves lucky to top this most unusual league table - The 2015 Quality of Death Index, compiled by the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit, found Britain to be the best in the world for palliative care. 22 years ago when Hospice Africa started there was no palliative care in Uganda, or indeed in almost all sub-Saharan Africa. Today Uganda has risen to 35th in this world ranking. “Targeted education programmes for palliative care specialists have produced an informed medical culture in Uganda. Problems remain particularly regarding the availability of professionals and inadequate public financing” says the report, but even so Uganda is rated highly amongst all the low income countries and is higher than some East European countries. There is still a long way to go. but we can take encouragement from this report. You can find out more about Hospice Africa in Dr Anne’s book. To order one priced £13.99 simply e-mail or write to us at the address below.

Something to think about ...

Why not volunteer your time to come to Uganda and see the difference HAU is making in the homes of patients? This can change your values and outlook on life. But don’t be afraid of this. It can only get better!! All ages encouraged!!

Christmas News Letter

A big blanket!

Jan has worked in palliative care for over twenty years and after hearing Dr Anne talk Jan decided to use a little of her spare time to knot for Hospice Africa....BUT the knitting proved addictive and the result was a big blanket. Read more of Jan's thoughts on our News Page.

Where does the money go?

Hospice Africa aims to keep its costs low and to use the maximum proportion of its funds to pursue its charitable aims. More than 96p per £1 of
expenditure is on charitable activities".

A home vist means more than just medication. Hospice care looks to the whole patient.

We are now using "My Donate", sponsored by BT which makes no charge for handling your donation. Our MyDonate website can be used to make donations to Hospice Africa. Simply use the link above. You can also use MyDonate to create a page to allow people to sponsor you for, say, a marathon or bike ride, or to sponsor someone else who is fundraising for Hospice Africa. Use this link and create your challenge